Cost of making a VR Application
The world we live in today is so much more advanced than it was only a few years ago. Technology has the interest of some of the keenest minds on the planet, and the quick upsurge of innovations in the fields is nothing short of a revolution. In short, we love developing technology, and one of the newest and most fascinating areas of exploration is; Virtual Reality.
Virtual- reality, especially in today’s competitive app market, is a lucrative field to explore. Its cross-industrial applications make it an ideal choice for entrepreneurs to pursue.
If you’re interested in VR, we’ll be exploring various aspects of development and the involved costs in the making of your own VR app in this article. But before we do that, let’s get a quick overview of the concept behind virtual reality.
What is Virtual reality?
Virtual reality can refer to any simulated experience that may or may not be similar to the real world. It is a bit similar to but distinct from Augmented reality and mixed reality, also known as extended reality (XR).
Virtual reality has many applications in today’s world, including entertainment, education, therapy, and a lot more. It’s the way to the future for sure.
With devices like Oculus Rift, Gear VR, HTC Vive, etc., have already been launched and have been well- received. Interest in the mobile- application market seems to be rising, and this is a great time to get started on a solution that can help people and be successful.
If you don’t have any specific idea,
Here are a few applications of virtual reality
- Virtual reality is becoming a big part of the entertainment industry. It is a part of the gaming industry, and it is also part of the 3D cinema. Video game companies came out with consumer virtual reality headsets back in the early-mid 1990s. Around the 2010s, the next-generation commercial tethered headsets by Oculus (Rift), HTC (Vive), and Sony (PlayStation VR) changed the whole concept of VR, with high-end hardware and extensively designed environments. The future of VR Gaming is bright.
- In 3D cinema, the applications of VR are in Music videos, Fine Art, Adult entertainment, short movies, sporting events, and many other facets of development in this area.
- In medicine, VR can simulate surgical environments, helpful in training students for low cost, by reducing the resources needed. There are applications of VR in physical rehabilitation as well.
- VR can be a lot of use in the Educational sector. It provides students an immersive learning environment across various branches of knowledge.
- VR can be a valuable asset in the engineering field, for students and professionals, as it can provide 3-D models that accurately reproduce real-life possibilities for studying and formulating.
- Digital Marketing and E-commerce applications of VR are also numerous, especially with the steady growth of these Industries.
- VR is also a lot of help in the field of psychiatry as it provides a way to extract and study mannerisms, and can also be of use for therapeutic practices like Virtual reality Exposure therapy and the like, to help the patients.
The possibilities are numerous, and you can focus on your fields of interest to generate a solution that you can get behind.
Now, without further ado, let’s discuss what it takes to get a VR application made from the ground up.
Cost Of Developing a VR App
The cost of developing a VR app depends on a lot of varying factors. By studying these factors, you can get a good idea of how much you’ll be investing in development. Let’s get into it!
1.) Type of VR Applications
Knowing the various types of VR applications will give you a little more clarity about the direction in which you want to head.
a.) Basic VR Applications
These are the most basic simulations ranging in content, such as real- estate tours, or historical tours, representations of varying kinds, and so on. However, in these applications, there is not a lot of users- involvement. Instead, they’re more observational and tend to focus on the content involved, and its presentation, rather than the user’s involvement and high state of immersion. It can cost anywhere from $5000- $10,000 to create a basic VR app.
b.) Educational (Training Simulators) VR Apps
These Apps are ideal for professional-level teaching courses across fields of knowledge, i.e., Medicine, Psychiatry, Aeronautics, Space programs, and so on. These apps provide intricate designing and highly immersive experience for the students (user) and are an ideal solution for institutions.
c.) Social VR Apps
Thanks to the internet, the means of communication in today’s world are more advanced than ever. An interactive VR Social app lets people connect in a hyper-realistic VR environment, which can respond to the multi-user design. Popular social media platforms seem to warm up to VRs increasing scope for the future. It is a lucrative field to explore well.
d.) E-commerce Apps
E-commerce has grown exponentially in recent years. Users have reacted positively to the new way of business and there’s a lot of scope for growth. A VR E-commerce app can provide an experience that can be high – interactive, yet allowing users to maximize efficiency. They can engage with the virtual objects, examine them, and make a more conscious choice from the comfort of their space. The scope for practical and efficient solutions is there in this ever-growing field. It can cost you around $15,000 – $30,000 to create an E-commerce VR app.
e.) Multi- user VR Applications
Based on user- interaction count, we can categorize VR applications into single-user and multi-user applications. Whether it is a single-user app or a multi-user app, it determines the complexity and cost of the overall development. For example, the cost of developing an MMORPG can cost you around ($100,000 or more).
f.) 3- D Games
Gaming is a big part of the VR scene today, and as a result, the development of an enjoyable gaming app, whether for a single player or a project like an MMORPG, can vary in budget and experience. VR games have a highly immersive environment and require special VR equipment to interact with it and to play. It can cost you anywhere from $20,000- 200,000 for creating a gaming app.
These are some of the basic categorizations of VR apps.
2.) Features
The complexity of the app, populated by its design, and features also determine the overall cost of development. It all depends on your idea and in what way you want to develop it, given your resources. Features involve factors others than the content of the app, such as multi-user- connectivity, user privacy features, rating system, Profile- development (buying and creating resources to add), etc., are examples of some features that impact the overall cost.
The amount of designing in terms of coding the app, along with the hardware necessary to explore the said construct, defines how much you’ll need to spend on developing the app. It can be a Non-immersive, semi-immersive, and thoroughly immersive app in terms of user- engagement.
3.) Development Platforms/ Development Team
Development across platforms is a crucial factor in the overall cost of making the app. Whether it’s an iOS app or an Android app, or you’re making an app that’s for MAC or Google Chrome, the scope and budget of your app will depend on your choice in this regard. If you want a cross-platform app, the cost will go higher, but so will your audience. You can cover the basics in terms of your target- audience, and you can make a decision about which platforms you’re going into with your project.
You also have to consider the development team that’ll be working with you for the course of the development. The team’s expertise and development charges and are also something you should look into carefully before making a decision.
4.) Development/Testing
Along with the development part of the app, handled by the development staff, you also need to spread
awareness about your product and the industry it assists. Creating and publishing content, building pre-launch excitement, and creating an overall vibe of your app is also necessary. You can hire people to work on the content, or you, along with your team, can discuss and follow through on your plans.
The development process for your VR application can be anywhere from 500 hours to 2000 hours, based on the complexity of the app. Thorough testing of your application is a very crucial aspect of it as well. You, trying to make your VR application the best version of itself before the launch, is also part of the process. Across varying platforms, you can reach out to the target audience through social media and other means.
5.) Post-launch Maintenance
After the product is out in the market, you need to go all out with the marketing and building online presence and awareness about your app. You can study consumer reception carefully so that you can make adequate changes to the design and keep bringing out updates to make the user- experience better with each passing year.
Other than all this, the overall maintenance post-launch also determines the overall cost you’ll be incurring.
Server maintenance, CMS, updates, etc., are also a vital part of having an app. You can ask your development team to take care of the post-launch procedures, or you can hire people for that as well.
Overall Cost of Development
The overall cost of developing a VR app depends on a variety of factors, as mentioned above. The app type, its features, development process, and developers, etc., are the things you can study to get an estimate of your overall cost. In different locations, the charges of development may vary, and you can find the team and other resources that compliment your budget and idea in the best way. Developing a VR app can cost you anywhere from $20,000 to $200,000, depending on these varying factors.
When you’re sitting down with your team, you can discuss your ideas and present your research and determine whether a fixed price or an on-the-go model will be the most suitable for you. A fixed price model is ideal when you have a set budget, and you’re looking for specific features in your app. If you have money, you can discuss the idea and can get started on a model, which you can modify on the go for most efficiency and quality- performance.
| Location | Hourly Development rates |
| North America | $40- $250 |
| Latin America | $15- $60 |
| Eastern Europe | $25- $70 |
| Western Europe | $40- $190 |
| Asia | $15- $60 |
The Future of Virtual Reality Apps
So far, people have been quite receptive to VR technology. With technological advancements, it is becoming safer to venture into these areas, and across industries, VR apps are also finding their place. Whether it’s in Real Estate Medicine, Education, Entertainment, or something else, extraordinary work is being done by entrepreneurs and n entrepreneurs to give modern problems a modern solution!
For Virtual Reality, the future looks bright. Within the safety of technological space, we’ll be able to explore so many things which can considerably enhance our knowledge of human experience, and as a result, help in bringing a lot of positive change in our societies. Although people have their reservations about the subject, with more and more people realizing the potential of VR, there is a good chance of a future where VR is an intrinsic part of everyday life; but that might take some exceptional innovations to unfold!
Conclusion
If you’re thinking of developing a VR app, you have a lot of areas that you can explore. If you have anything specific in your mind, you’re already one step ahead of the curve. You can start with proper research, and after discussing your idea with experts, and people you trust, you can map out a well-thought plan, which will guide you through the development process. Lots of research, smart resource management, a good development team, and will to adapt; all of these things will be crucial for your VR app’s success!